Results from Test Project

Fall 2023

[1] TRUE
[1] TRUE

Farm 138

Insert text here about your project summary

Soil Health

Soil health is a term that describes how well a soil ecosystem supports plants, animals, and humans. It also recognizes the living nature of soils and the importance of soil microorganisms. Healthy soils can provide wildlife habitat, support biodiversity, reduce the effects of climate change, filter air and water, increase crop productivity and food security, and ensure thriving rural economies.

Qualities of a Healthy Agricultural Soil
  • Good soil tilth allows roots to penetrate
  • Near neutral pH (6–8) maximizes nutrient availability for most crops, and minimizes Al and Mn toxicity
  • Sufficient—but not excessive—nutrient supply for crop growth
  • Small population of plant pathogens and pests
  • Adequate soil drainage and infiltration
  • Diverse and active microbial population
  • Low weed seed bank
  • No residual chemicals or toxins that may harm the crop, including salts
  • Resistance to degradation such as from erosion or surface runoff

Soil Science 101

A crucial part of the soil health journey is measuring changes in your soil and understanding how to interpret those measurements. We can measure soil health with a range of indicators describing a soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, which can relate to important soil functions. Each indicator measures a different property of the soil and can be affected differently by management.

To learn more about management practices that support healthy soil, check out these resources from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) principles of building soil health.

What We Measured in Your Soil

ACE Soil Protein is the fraction of SOM comprised of proteins from soil microorganisms. Proteins contain nitrogen that can be mineralized for plant uptake, and are therefore an important contributor to crop growth. ACE stands for autoclaved citrate-extractable, which is the laboratory method for extracting the proteins. ACE soil protein is related to aggregate stability as it partly measures proteins that are physically sticky and hold soil particles together. ACE is also sensitive to management changes, so can be a valuable indicator for evaluating relatively short-term changes in soil health.

Electrical Conductivity (EC) measures the concentration of salts in the soil. Excessive salts can stress plants and lower crop yield and quality, as well as impact soil structure, infiltration rates, and water holding capacity. In particular, sodium (Na) can cause crusting and dispersion of soil particles, leading to surface runoff and erosion. Crops in sodium-affected soils (sodic soils) may also have challenges taking up other essential salts such as Ca, Mg, and K.

Aggregate Stability measures the resistance of groups of soil particles, or aggregates, to disintegration. Aggregates are formed when soil particles associate with organic matter, plant roots, fungal hyphae, and “glues” made by soil microorganisms. Water and wind can break down unstable aggregates, while stable aggregates can reduce erosion and increase water infiltration, drainage, and storage capacity. Aggregate stability is an excellent example of how biological life impacts soil physical properties. Soils high in clay tend to have higher aggregate stability than sandy soils, but increasing soil organic matter improves aggregate stability across all soil textures.

Aggregate held together with organic matter, roots, fungal hyphae, and microbial glues. An arrow with text says aggregate disintegration points toward an aggregate broken apart and text that says particles more prone to erosion.

Soil Health Indicators

The below table describes: 1. What each indicator helps measure in your soil; 2. Whether you want the measured value to be higher (more is better), lower (less is better), or in the middle (optimal range); and 3. How often to measure each indicator. Our understanding of these indicators is rapidly evolving as researchers measure them in diverse soils, cropping systems, and climates.

More is better scoring curveOptimal range scoring curveLess is better scoring curve

Soil Health Indicator

Soil Function

Scoring Curve Type

Measure every: 1-3 years

ACE Soil Protein

Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience

More is better

Aggregate Stability

Physical support, water relations, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience

More is better

Electrical Conductivity (EC)

Physical support, nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience

Less is better

Mineralizable Carbon

Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience

More is better

Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (POXC)

Biodiversity & habitat, nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience

More is better

Potentially Mineralizable Nitrogen (PMN)

Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience

More is better

Soil pH

Nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience

Optimal range

Total Nitrogen

Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience

Optimal range

Plant Essential Nutrients

Nutrient cycling

Optimal range

Measure every: 3-5 years

Bulk Density

Physical support, water relations, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience

Optimal range

Cation Exchange Capacity

Nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience

More is better

Infiltration

Water relations, physical support

More is better

Soil Organic Matter (SOM)

Nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience

More is better

Water Holding Capacity (WHC)

Water relations, physical support

More is better

Soil Health Testing

Infographic titled How to Get Quality Results. Be Consistent: sample at the same time each year; send samples to the same lab; keep samples cool and get them to the lab quickly; keep good records of lab results. Context matters: not all soils are created equal; indicators are impacted by inherent properties like climate and soil texture; as well as by management; don't be alarmed if your soil is below the optimal range fro some indicators, see how far you can take your soil with management but know there may be inherent limitations. Back to the Basics: old school measurements like pH, texture, and soil organic matter are still incredible important; new indicators are constantly being developed, don't feel you have to measure all of them, or let the process overwhelm you; have fun exploring through a soil health lens, but remember that you know your soil better than anyone! Be Patient: some measurements may not change as quickly as you'd like; sampling across time is very important, our scientific understanding of these measurements is evolving; we are all on this journey together.

Your Fields

Sample ID

Field ID

Field Name

Crop

Longitude

Latitude

23-AWK04-02

2

Field 02

Cereal Grain

-123

47


Project Results

Below are tables and graphs describing the physical, biological, and chemical measurements from your soils. Each point represents a sample we collected. Take a look to see how your fields compare to others in the project. All samples were collected from [EDIT: SOIL DEPTH (e.g. 0-6 inches, or 0-30 cm)].

Physical

Field or Average

Texture

Sand

Silt

Clay

Bulk Density

Agg. Stability

WHC

%

g/cm³

%

in/ft

Field 02

Loam

50

40

10

0.81

90

1.6

Cereal Grain Average
(7 Fields)

Silt Loam

42

43

15

1.20

84

2.0

County 7 Average
(6 Fields)

Silt Loam

36

48

16

0.95

94

1.9

Project Average
(100 Fields)

Silt Loam

43

43

14

1.10

90

1.7

Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds.
Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Biological

Field or Average

Organic Matter

Min C

POXC

PMN

ACE Protein

%

mg/kg/day

ppm

lb/ac

g/kg

Field 02

13.0

62

720

100

12.0

Cereal Grain Average
(7 Fields)

4.7

40

400

75

7.3

County 7 Average
(6 Fields)

10.0

70

730

180

7.9

Project Average
(100 Fields)

5.8

50

530

99

8.5

Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds.
Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Chemical

Field or Average

pH

EC

CEC

Total C

TOC

mmhos/cm

cmolc/kg

%

Field 02

5.4

0.29

28

7.5

7.5

Cereal Grain Average
(7 Fields)

5.7

0.41

14

2.5

2.5

County 7 Average
(6 Fields)

5.6

0.25

23

5.3

5.3

Project Average
(100 Fields)

6.1

0.74

15

2.9

2.9

Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds.
Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Plant Essential Macro Nutrients

Field or Average

Total N

NO₃-N

NH₄-N

P

K

Ca

Mg

S

%

ppm

Field 02

0.44

29

7.3

27

340

740

97

120

Cereal Grain Average
(7 Fields)

0.18

12

10.0

28

350

1,900

250

23

County 7 Average
(6 Fields)

0.36

15

12.0

26

390

2,500

410

54

Project Average
(100 Fields)

0.21

17

9.0

41

330

2,100

350

24

Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds.
Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Plant Essential Micro Nutrients

Field or Average

B

Fe

Mn

Cu

Zn

Na

ppm

Field 02

0.21

65

13.0

2.8

1.6

23

Cereal Grain Average
(7 Fields)

0.25

65

12.0

1.8

1.1

24

County 7 Average
(6 Fields)

0.34

110

11.0

3.1

3.0

32

Project Average
(100 Fields)

0.39

94

8.5

2.1

3.8

48

Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds.
Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Download your data

Looking Forward

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Acknowledgement

This report was generated using the {soils} R package. {soils} was developed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and Washington State University, as part of the Washington Soil Health Initiative. Text and figures were adapted from WSU Extension publication #FS378E Soil Health in Washington Vineyards. Learn more about {soils} in this blog post or this webinar.